Adjustable discharge port spray nozzle



July 19, 1949. T. M. DE LA GARDE 2,

ADJUSTABLE DISCHARGE PORT SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Aug. 31, 1946 v 1 INVENTOR) 77601:- 07. De Z? 7' 7%@;

I By-flgw M,

Patented July 19, 1949 ADJUSTABEETDISCHARGEFORTSBRAE NOZZLE.

Theodor M. De La Gal-dc, liosgAngeles-,. Qa1if,

Application August 31, 1946; Serial N'o. 694,310

3- Glaims. 1

This invention isv a sprinkler. or shower head of the type designed for the ready adjustment of theliquid discharged therefrom.

It haslong been proposed. to: adjustza. valve element in. a shower head. to regulate thevolume and form. of. spray delivered; by the head; especially for shower baths.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means which will effect the spray adjustment by the use of a control element of deformable rubbar or its equivalent in cooperation with a rigid shell whereby a discharge orifice or system of orfices intervening between the shell and the rim of the deformable element may be increased or decreased in flow capacity and in the form of the spray and its volume by simple adjustment of a compresser unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valved nozzle head in which the valve element per se has no bodily shift in the head assembly and is made effective by reason of its circumferential compression under compaction between a rigid. backer spider and a frontal compresser unit.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, durable and reliable valved shower head, involving but few and simple parts; the whole head and its separate parts being of low cost of production and a fair selling price.

And a purpose of the invention is to provide a valved shower head whose effective valve element can be very easily removed when renewal is necessary.

The invention resides in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combinations and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the following description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, spirit and principles of the invention as it is claimed in conclusion hereof.

Figure 1 is an axial section of the head assembly, and Figure 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the shell thereof. Figure 3 is a hub side elevation of backer wall, and Figure 4 is a view, in section, of the backing spider.

Figure 5 is rear elevation of a portion of a form of the deformable valve element whose rim is provided with a system of jet channels.

The instant shower head includes a cupshaped shell? 2' from the back; wall: of: which-ex; tends a: ball 3J tiltably clinched: in. a. pipe. cou.-. pling'i l and having. a central bore-'5: to the. cavity of the cup shell.

To: control the volume and? also the form. of the spray ofwater from the" shell. 2" the present invention consists of a doughnut shaped closure element 6 against the outer face of which is lodged a substantial presser plate 1 having a central, conical hub 8 fitting the inner annular surface 62' of the valve 6 and being supported on its outer side by a conical shoulder 9 of a valve adjusting screw I i! which constitutes the only shiftable member of the tiltable nozzle unit. This screw extends inwardly and engages a threaded boss or hub ll having a spider flange l2 which is shown in Fig. 4 as pitched back over the boss at such an angle and. being of such diameter that when the rim of the flange is laid against an annular, internal shoulder I3 in the rim of the valve shell 2 and then rammed axially with sufficient pressure the margins lZm of the flange 12 will rigidly interlock in the shell by seating on the rim shoulder [3.

The flange l2 has ports I211 around its rim for the discharge of water from the ball bore 5 to an annular space M at the rear of the valve element 6 in its mounted position between the presser plate 1 and the backing flange [2, the forward end of the boss of which has a wedge face 12w to effect an outward thrust on the interposed valve element 6 when the screw I!) is slightly turned inward of the boss I! to force the pressure plate compressively onto the rubber element 6.

For the purpose of creating a discharge spray consisting of a large number of rather small streams or jets of water (for example) either the inner surface of the mouth of the shell 2 is provided with a suitable number of preferably evenly spaced narrow channels 20 to discharge over the adjacent rim of the rubber valve element 6, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or the rim of the valve element 6 is provided with such channels as at 60, Fig. 5, or both may have channels if so desired. As shown in Fig. 1 the channels 20 are directionally flared outward as to the axis of the nozzle to produce a generally conical spray. In operation of the nozzle, in order to reduce the volume of the spray and at the same time the size of each atomized jet emerging from the channels it is only necessary to turn the adjusting screw l0 inwardly and thereby effect a choking off of the channels whether they are in the shell mouth surface or in the rim of the rubber valve element itself, or in both, as may be especially desirable in some instances of installation of the nozzle.

The invention in the instant case is in the embodiment of the elastic, rubber type valve element as the control means for the regulation of jets which flow from a system of outlet channels provided in one or another of the nozzle discharge parts and to which the following claims are particularly directed.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, in a spray nozzle, of a shell having a flange and having an internal, annular valve seat concentric to the shell axis, a stiff, deformable closure element constantly engaging said seat, and a clam device rigidly mounted in said shell and including an axially adjustable presser plate compressively engaging and for peripherally deforming the perimeter of said closure element against said seat to a suitable degree of pressure; the said seat having an annular arrangement of longitudinally directed discharge channels surrounding the rim of said deformable element.

2. A spray nozzle of the class set forth, including a shell having a concentric valve seat,

a stiff, deformable closure element whose perimeter solidly and non-shiftably engages said valve seat, an inner backing spider member fixed in the shell to support the said closure element, and means adjustably mounted on said member and engaging and for expansively bulging the said element to a suitable degree of pressure on said shell seat; the seat having a plurality of discharge channels whose out flow capacity is regulated by compression of the said extruding means.

3. The nozzle of claim 2; said means including an outer, discal presser plate engaging said element and a clamping screw threaded in said backing member.

THEODOR M. DE LA GARDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,849,517 Fraser Mar. 15, 1932 1,956,521 Ball Apr. 24, 1934 2,269,901 Bletcher Jan. 13, 1942 

